Rail wat time signal



2 Sheets'-She't 1.

(NoMddeL) v J. F; K; O'CONNOR. RAILWAY TI MB SIGNAL.

' 110.377. 197. Patented Peb.-7.-1888.

n. Pains. mungm 9- (No Model.)

.J. FQK. O OQN NO R; RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL.

Patented Feb.','7,"18 83- Q v Q a Warsaw- UNIT D STATE-S PATENT OFFICE.

JoHN F. K. OOONNOR, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

- a RAILWAY TIME-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION, forming part of Letters PatentvNo, 377,497, dated February '7, 1888. Application filed May 19, 1887. Serial No. 238,715. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

State of N ew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Train Timers,

of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to automatic train timers or signals which will indicate accurately and automatically the time at which the last train has passed any station.

In carrying out my invention I employ, in connection with a time-movement constructed similarly to an ordinary'clock-movement and provided with a stop or detent which isrotated in a manner similar to the hand of an ordinary clock, a free-running second movement,which consists simply of a train of wheels adapted to run freely under the influence of a weight or spring and unretarded by any escapement, and which has a dial and two hands and a stop in the path of the stop of the first movement. In connection with these parts I also employ a resistance devicesuch as a brake-strapwhich acts with sufficient force to prevent the operation of the second movement under the influence of its weight or spring, and a track lever or device which is secured at the side of the rail and connected with the aforesaid brake or resistance device. When the track lever or device is depressed by the wheel of a car, it operates to relax or remove the resistance device and permit the sudden or rapid operation of the second move-1 ment until it is arrested by the stop or detent of the first movement, and when it is arrested by the stop or detent of the first movement the hands upon the dial will indicate the correct time. e

The invention will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my apparatus, a transverse section of the track-rail, and one arrangement of connections which may be employed. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the two movements on the plane at right angles to the line of sight in Fig. 1 and upon a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the plane of the dotted line :0 a, Fig. 2, upon the same scale as Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a side view of a track lever or device which may be employed and a guide therefor.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates a'suitable case, whichmay be made of metal, and which contains an ordinary clock-movement, either adapted to make one or two revolutions of the main spindle in twenty-four hours. I have not thought it nee essary to show this clock-movement B in its entirety, but have shown certain wheels thereof and the main spindle b, which in this example of the invention is actuated by a spring, b. By a pinion and wheel, b b, and a second pinion and wheel, b b, the clock-movement transmits a rotary movement to a stop or detent, b,

which has a shaft or central pivot, 12, and which is driven forward slowly and uninterruptedly by the clock-movement B.

In connection with the aforesaid parts I also employ a second movement or train of wheels which is free-'running,or,in other words, which is adapted, when released, to rotate the hands 0 a quickly over a dial, 0. As here repre-' sented, this second movement or train of wheels comprises a drum, 0, which, by suitable gearing,c such as is well known in clockmovements, transmits a clock-like movement to the hands 0 a over the dial. In the present example of my invention a weight, 0, is sus- 8o pended by a cord, 0 coiled around adrum, c", and at the rear end of the drum-shaft is awheel or disk',' d provided with astop-pin, d,-which,

by the'rot-ation of the wheel or disk d, is earried around in the path of the stop finger or detent b.

'In order to enable the second movement, which is c c c, 860., to be readily wound up without interference from the finger or detent b I have represented a ratchetconnection, b,- at each end of the drum-shaft c and consequently the drum-shaft and drum may be turned to wind up the weight without, interfering with the wheel or disk cl. Thissecondmovement or train of wheels is free-running in the sense that when it operates its move ment is unretarded by any escapement, such as is nsuallyemployed in a clock-movement,

and such a one as must be employed in the clock-movement B. I o I, v

I prevent the operation of the second'train; of wheels or movement by a resistancedevice, which, as here represented,consists of a brakestrap, D, passing around the wheel or disk at and partly embracing its periphery. As shown best in Fig. 3, this brake-strap may be secured at d and with its opposite end is connected a bell-crank lever, D, pivoted at d, and actuated by a spring, (1 to apply the brake-strap with force to the wheel d.

E designates a track-rail, and E designates, by dotted lines, a car-wheel as running upon this rail. At the side of the rail is arranged a track lever or device, F, which is best shown in Fig. 4, and it may be pivoted at the end f, and the opposite end of this lever, which is turned downward to form a toe, f, bears upon one arm of the second lever, G, which is fulcrumed at f", and the outer arm of which bears upon a bell-crank, D fulcrumed at d, and connected,through its one arm and the rod dlwith the lever D. Aspring, f, is applied to the lever G to lift it and return the lever G and the track-lever F to normal position after operation, and the track-lever F is held in suitable relation to the rail E by means of a guide, G, against the side of which it works.

When the cam-like head or toe f of the track-lever F is pushed downward in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1 by the flange e on the car-wheel E, a movement of the parts G D D will be produced in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 1, and the brake-strap D will be relaxed or lifted, so as to move or loosen its grip upon the wheel d. ,Whenever this operation is produced by the passage of a car or train the brake-strap D is relaxed, and the resistance opposed to the operation of the second movement and hands 0 0 being removed, said second movement or train of wheels will operate quickly under the force exerted by the weight 0, and until the stop-pin d brings up against the stop-arm or detent b". As soon as the train passes, the brakestrap D is again applied by the force of the spring rd, and the position of the hands 0 c relatively to the dial 0 indicates the time at which the train passes.

The case A, which contains the several parts of any mechanism, may be mounted upon a post, A.

It will be observed that the brake-strap D constitutes one form of a resistance device which is necessary to prevent the operation of the free-running second movement or train of wheels for operating the hands a c.

The dial 0 may be translucent and a sufficient space allowed behind it for a lamp to be placed during darkness.

I am aware that in the patent to Wayne, No. 234,634, dated November 16, 1880, there is shown a time-signal for railways, in which is comprised a regular time-movement and also a free running movement,which is held against operation by a pawl that is released on the passing of a train. Upon the arbors of both movements are pulleys, over which are passed a cord that is wound up by the free running of the second movement and is unwound by the running of the time-movement. On the portion of the cord which extends between these two pulleys is suspended a weight. As such time-movement rotates, it unwinds' the cord from its pulley and allows it to depend in a loop between the two pulleys, and when the free-running movement is released it 0perates until the cord is drawn taut between the two pulleys and stops when its hands indicate a time corresponding with the time indicated by the time-movement. I do not desire to include such a construction in my invention, and my invention differs from what is shown in this patent in that I provide the time-movement with a rotary stop or detent, such as the finger b, and I provide the free running movement with a corresponding rotary stop, such as the pin or projection d.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, witha time-movement and a rotary stop or detent, as finger b, operated continuously thereby, of a free-running second movement having a dial and two hands, and a single driving device, as a weight, and a stop, as pin or projection d, in the path of the stop of the first movement, a resistance device for preventing the operation of the free-running movement, a track lever or device to be secured at the side of the track, and connections through which the track 1ever or device, when depressed by the wheels of a car, operates to relax or remove the resistance device and permit the instant and free operation of the second movement until it is arrested by the stop pin or projection d striking against the stop or detent of the timemovement, substantially as herein described.

JNO. F. K. OOONNOR.

WVitn'esses:

FREDK. HAYNES, HENRY J. McBRIDE.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 377,497.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 37 7 ,497 granted February '7 ,1888,

upon the application of John F. K. OConnor, of Yonkers,New York, for an improvement in"Rai1way Time-Signals, an error appears requiring the following correction: On

page 1, second column, line 90,'the reference letter and figure 10 should read 07 and that the Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein to make the same conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. I

Signed, counter-signed, and sealed this 14th day of February, A. D. 1888.

[SEAL] D. L. HAWKINS,'

Acting Secretary of the Interior.

Gountersigned:

BENTON J. HALL,

' Commissioner of Patents 

